Chris Phipps didn’t watch MTV’s latest reality show “Jersey Shore.” He doesn’t think it gives a very fair look into what things are actually like along the shores of New Jersey. Phipps would know: He was born there.
Hailing from Patterson, N.J., Phipps only recently made the move to Lincoln, Neb. The sophomore triple jumper came to Lincoln with hopes of being a Big 12 champion track and field athlete. After this weekend, that hope looks more and more like a genuine possibility.
This weekend’s 35th Annual Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational saw Phipps capture the triple jump with a leap of 51-11 3/4. The mark not only beat his previous best jump of 51-6 1/2, it also moved him to No. 10 on the 2010 NCAA list.
“I was hyped, I was excited about (the jump),” Phipps said. “I just felt the fire, I had determination to do well this weekend.”
Phipps’ personal record setting performance was certainly a welcome event to the jumper who has had to deal with several injuries early on in the season. After coming back from a foot injury at the beginning of the year, Phipps most recently dealt with a sore ankle that made it difficult to compete.
“I was thinking about the injury a lot, but I had to overcome it,” Phipps said. “I had to focus on the main goal and that was competing in the triple jump this weekend.”
Redshirt freshman teammate Zach Simon has been only one of the witnesses to Phipps’ hard work. Simon said this weekend’s performance didn’t come as a surprise.
“He’s put a lot of hard work in,” Simon said. “It was a big meet and you could just see it in his face that he was back to having a lot of fun out there.”
With Phipps finally healthy, he can now get back to focusing on what he wants to accomplish in his sophomore season.
“I want to stay healthy, get stronger, and jump real far,” Phipps said.
Simon feels like those goals are definitely within reach for his friend and teammate.
“His goals are very possible,” Simon said. “He’s added a lot of distance since high school. What he wants to accomplish is more than doable.”
With only two weeks left before the Big 12 indoor championships, Phipps will be looking to continue on with the success he felt this weekend at the Bob Devaney Center.
“Things haven’t been easy,” the sophomore said. “I’ve had to wake up early in the morning and get to practice early to get treatment. You just have to be dedicated to your sport and to your event and to your team. I’ve got to stay dedicated.”
That preparation will more than likely keep Phipps from watching much television. This way he can avoid the show “Jersey Shore.”
“That show,” Phipps began, “that’s just a very different part of Jersey.”
tomgrant@dailynebraskan.com
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